Floating
by Laiqalasse
Summary: Legolas sails for Valinor


Author's Notes: I have no idea where this came from. i was just sitting here watching Letterman when this little plot bunny hit me over the head. i know there are so many other stories i really need to be working on, but i simply could not ignore this one so here it is.  
**** Floating ****  
  
The residents of Ithilien watched in concern as their Prince wound his way through the massive tree trunks. He had changed so much in recent months. His inner light was fading and his physical body was diminishing. No longer did his skin glow, now it was stretched taut across his bones, sallow and grey-ish in hue. His hair even had lost its natural shine. He was nothing like their ever-cheerful leader. He had become a shadow.  
  
Dressed all in grey, Legolas wandered his forest by night, never sleeping, never resting. His days were spent from sunrise to sunset working with a mad obsession on his little silver ship. It was a race against time and he knew it. They all knew it. His time in Middle-earth was coming to a close one way or another. He would either sail across the Sea to the Undying Lands or he would fade from existence and pass into the Halls of Mandos.  
  
One set of sharp eyes watched the Prince particularly close. They followed his every movement and their owner sighed. He had known Legolas for many years and they were close friends. He could see the anguish the Prince was in and he knew the cause even if the people of this land didn't. Legolas was grieving; that much was plain to anyone, but what the Prince's subjects didn't know was why. The eyes did. They watched their friend as he wasted away from a broken heart over the death of his closest friend. Aragorn was gone. Gimli sighed and decided it was time to make his presence known. Stepping forward he called his friend's name softly.  
  
Legolas jumped at the sound of the old Dwarf's voice. He turned on his heel and regarded his dear friend with dull and uninterested eyes. "Why are you here Gimli?" His voice was quiet and slightly harsh from disuse. It sounded unfamiliar even to his own ears.  
  
"Because I am worried about you, crazy Elf. You are fading, my friend, and it pains me to see you this way. You were always so strong, so stubborn." Gimli smiled slightly as he remembered all the banter that had gone on between the two of them, then he looked at his friend and realized that those times were long over. This whisper of an Elf standing before him was not the same sharp Elf he had become friends with.  
  
"Oh." Legolas regarded the Dwarf for a few moments then turned away again. "You are wasting your time, then, for I will be leaving shortly. Tomorrow. My ship isn't as finished as it should be, but if I do not do this tomorrow, I never will." His voice was still quiet and empty, much like his heart.  
  
At the underlying meaning in Legolas' words Gimli panicked and made a snap decision. "Then I will come with you." Legolas turned back to face the Dwarf and Gimli struggled to come up with a plausible reason that would be accepted by the still-proud Elf. "I, too, have grown weary of this life, Legolas. I can feel my own time coming and I would spend my last days by my dearest friend's side."  
  
A parody of a smile appeared on the Elf's lips. "I appreciate the gesture, Gimli, but I don't think it works that way." His heart was apparently not completely shattered for he was genuinely touched by the Dwarf's show of devoted friendship. "I know not if you would be granted entrance."  
  
This time Gimli decided that the truth was called for. "It matters not to me, I simply wish to see you safely there. Please do not deny me, Legolas." He watched intently as the Elf considered then arrived at the only possible answer.  
  
"As you wish, friend Gimli. Meet me by the river at sunrise." With those words Legolas turned and vanished into the trees, leaving the Dwarf to stare after him.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Dwarf stepped out of the trees onto the banks of the river to see Legolas setting the last of the supplies into the modest boat. If possible, the Elf looked even more tired and withdrawn than he had just a few hours before when they had talked in the forest. Legolas looked up as Gimli approached, but neither offered any words. With a nod of the head, Legolas helped Gimli into the little vessel then pushed off from the bank, swinging into the boat as it pulled away.  
  
They sailed for two days, few words passing between them. Gimli saw that Legolas neither ate nor drank though he often encouraged the Elf to do so. By this time Legolas was little more than an empty shell, surviving, it seemed, by sheer will power and determination to make it to Valinor, where he could hopefully be healed. On many occasions, Gimli said a silent prayer to whichever of the Valar might be listening to please help speed their journey along. He only hoped that the prayers of a Dwarf would be heard and attended to.  
  
On the evening of the second night Legolas came to sit beside Gimli, leaving the sail unattended. There was still silence between them, but now it felt different. Heavier, somehow. Without tearing his eyes from the grey sea, Legolas reached out and took Gimli's hand in his frail one, hanging on weakly. The Dwarf squeezed his friend's hand lightly in a reassuring gesture that he didn't truly feel. A slight pressure on his fingers told him that the Elf had received the message. They stayed like that for several hours and finally Gimli's eyelids began to droop in exhausted slumber.  
  
The Dwarf was awakened by a faint vibration rippling through his left arm. He pried his eyelids open to see Legolas trembling at his side, their hands still clasped. Gimli's eyes met Legolas' and the blue orbs were filled with so many emotions. Guilt, sadness, regret, resignation, and still a spark of determination. A violent tremor wracked the Elf's frail body and he tried to pull his cloak more closely around him.  
  
Gimli watched his friend struggle in vain to keep warm, then gently maneuvered Legolas so that the Elf was somewhat in his lap, the golden head resting against Gimli's strong shoulder. The Dwarf held the shaking body loosely against him with one arm while stroking the gilded hair with his other hand.  
  
After many long minutes the trembling finally stopped and Legolas lay still in Gimli's arms. The Dwarf was both relieved and angry at the same time. He carefully tilted the Elf's head upward and noticed the slight cloudiness of normally bright blue eyes and the absolute stillness of the face. No breath passed between the slightly parted lips. Tears flooded Gimli's eyes and he let them fall as he continued to cradle the lifeless body through the night.  
  
Dawn came silently and blanketed by fog. Gimli tried to focus through the thick cover and thought he could see vague shapes looming ahead of him. Surely his imagination... But as the minutes passed and the fog lifted, Gimli saw that he had not been mistaken. There was land before him and the ship was making toward it despite the abandoned sail flapping feebly in the almost non-existent breeze.  
  
As the little boat drew closer, Gimli could see a group of people gathered on the shoreline, facing out to the Sea. Closer and closer still until the bottom of the boat scraped on the sandy bottom beneath the water. Two dark- haired Elves waded out and dragged the boat up onto the beach. The gathered group of Elves divided to make a little pathway and as Gimli watched, Galadriel made her way toward the boat, Elrond, Glorfindel, Erestor and Haldir following behind.  
  
When Galadriel reached the boat, she bowed to the sturdy Dwarf and offered her hand. Gimli took her hand in his, though he was loath to release the Elf in his arms. With a soft smile of understanding, Galadriel gestured to the Elves behind her and they stepped forward. Glorfindel carefully gathered Legolas into his arms then gently placed his body on a stretcher sitting on the sandy beach.  
  
Galadriel pulled gently on Gimli's hand and he rose, stepping out of the boat and standing beside his friend. Without a word, Haldir, Erestor, Elrond and Glorfindel moved to the corners of the stretcher and lifted it. They carried the golden Prince back down the little pathway between the Elves, Gimli and Galadriel following behind. As the passed, the others fell into step behind them and with that grand escort Gimli and Legolas finally arrived in Valmar.  
  
**** fini ****  
  
Additional Author's Notes: all right you guys. that was a sad one. i even managed to make myself cry while i was writing it. i've never done that before. now i feel like such a puss. oh well. just a little piece of trivia here, at one point i thought of putting Elladan and Elrohir in Gimli's place but i decided to stick with canon (somewhat...). did i make the right decision or should i also write a version with Elladan and Elrohir? Trinity, i know what you're gonna say but i've got another Legolas/Elladan/Elrohir story that i'm working on for you. two, actually. anyhoo, hope you guys enjoyed it. well, maybe not enjoyed, but i hope you liked it. 


End file.
